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The Last Kingdom

200 replies

CoffeeAndOranges · 22/10/2015 21:10

Anyone watching this? Always wish they would do these things in Old English & Old Norse with subtitles. Matthew Mcfadyen's a bit posh for it. And what was the boy in?

No idea what to expect so hopefully it'll be good!

OP posts:
anneyaramis · 06/12/2015 13:55

I have finally downloaded the first book, just need to finish the second Poldark book first.

atreya · 06/12/2015 16:13

I can't watch it, though tried to persevere. To say it's not quite faithful to the books is understatement.

Trills · 07/12/2015 19:31

Just catching up. Episode 7. How many are there?

expatinscotland · 07/12/2015 20:24

Only 1 more.

fireandblood · 11/12/2015 01:18

Loved the last episode can't wait to get the books what a great story and gorgeous actor Grinthe best bit was the announcement of series 2 at the end. Can't wait for some more uhtred

quirkychick · 11/12/2015 16:48

Just watched this on catch up Shock poor Iseult. I was really pleased to hear a series, as well. I am half-way through the second book. Looking forward to reading more!

Justaboy · 11/12/2015 17:39

Yes poor girl still I suppose Uhtred will have another heroin along 'ere long I bet he either gets of with the nun thats going along for the ride opp North in the next series or he'll shack up with Brida again. The worst part, shame on you BBC and wotisname who wrote it, was killing off Leofric he was a real bloke and a great mate to have around in a fight! such a shame.

That David Dawson from the annoying Journalist in Ripper street to the King Alfred was excellent. As were some of the Danes:) Hope series 2 is as good as the last parts of series one. Thursday night is sure to be dull now its over!

Trills · 12/12/2015 18:07

Did your mother tell you she should have kept her legs closed?

Good insult from the priest there.

Justaboy · 12/12/2015 23:43

Anyone know who that was with Uthred and the nun riding off into the sunset?. Couldn't place him.

fireandblood · 13/12/2015 01:19

I think it was the soldier/farm boy that joined them in the woods with the horses then was sent as a messenger. He used to play Ian in shameless.

SettlinginNicely · 13/12/2015 19:54

Poor Isuelt! Will Uhtred ever makeup with Mildrith?

Why was the baby buried at the farmstead when Mildrith was supposed to be at Odda's house?

Justaboy · 13/12/2015 20:43

fireandblood OK noted thanks for that.

SettlinginNicely Nope, she was "offered" to him by Alfred IIRC i think he's real love is Brida, bet she comes back onot the scene!

Actually I hardly ever watch TV nowadays but this series has been excellent the BBC do stuff like this very well that other historic series Wolf Hall was very good to.

English history is a very fertile ground there was a series called the "the Devils whore" set in the time of the civil war that was good too they could do a remake of that:)

Also hope they do that brill bit brummie history Peaky blinders again compulsive viewing too:-)

Trills · 13/12/2015 20:56

Uhtred and Mildreth got on well enough in the circumstances but they didn't particularly have a strong connection.

Similarly, Uhtred only went off and humped Brida because whatsername with the red hair was married now so he may as well give up on that one.

I thought Brida was brilliant but I don't think Uhtred considered her his soulmate or anything.

Justaboy · 13/12/2015 21:04

Well it does seem that the Dane's were portrayed as more fun loving than their Saxon counterparts were. Mildreth probably should have been a Nun whereas the one who was shouldn't have been, she seems to know how to use a spear when push came to shove!

Dunno if she will be Uhread's new woman I reckon with his looks he can pull whoever her likes!.

Really mourn poor Leofric, he was one of the best characters!

Justaboy · 13/12/2015 21:05

"he" likes sorry!

SettlinginNicely · 13/12/2015 21:24

I'll definitely watch the second series. I have not read the books, I have read some real history about the time (wish I could remember the books to reference them for you!). Here is what remember from the books:

  1. The Danes/Vikings had better hygiene than the Saxons, and really fussed over brushing their hair (unlike styling in the series)
  2. The Danes and the Saxons/Angles were closely related and found each other mutually intelligible. Different dialect but not wholly different languages.
  3. The Danes/Vikings were not disinterested Atheists, but pious in their own religion.
  4. On the continent they were being pushed further north onto more and more marginal lands by Frankish Christians. They felt under serge and marginalised themselves.
  5. When they came over to Britain, they were particularly scornful and contemptuous of their AngloSaxon cousins who had turned their backs on the old shared Gods and become Christians like their enemies on continental Europe. It was a betrayal by people who should have been on their side.
  6. When a Dane became a Christian he wasn't going from no faith to faith, but choosing one faith over another. He worried about picking the right one. If he misjudged and picked the wrong faith he would go to hell. There were lots of death bed conversions back and forth. Lots of Lords being baptised late in the day then panicking and having slaves sacrificed to Oden in atonement.
anneyaramis · 13/12/2015 21:32

That's really interesting settling. I didn't hear the S2 announcement - did they say when we can expect it.

Justaboy · 13/12/2015 21:35

SettlinginNicely Well at least its following lord Reiths "inform educate and entertain" remit if nowt else!

In fact that program "the devils whore" sparked and interest in the civil war as did a coincidental trip across the county that took in Nasby and Worcester and Edgehill.

I've had a keen interest in that time ever since and was never interested in History at all at school, it was really boring then!

Justaboy · 13/12/2015 21:38

anneyaramis Yes it was announced I have spies in the industry I'll see if i can find out when its scheduled for transmission. Expect it'll be at least a year things like that take some while to shoot and produce.

Aresling!, I think it meant someone who was a bit backward did it not?.

gingercat12 · 13/12/2015 22:17

Just finished watching. I really enjoyed it. The only thing is that without the books it made very little sense to me. But then I am happy to read an essay comparing Tywin Lannister's fiscal policy to Bloodraven's, so the fault may be with me.
It was fantastic to see Alfred's portrayal which was clearly 99% made up by the clergy and it is a very similar storyline to the legends of Alfred's own contemporary rulers.
Loving the books and cannot wait for the second series.
Mildrith's story was all over the place in the film. Why did she go back to the farmstead to bury baby Uthred?!
Also Uthred saw Thyra being taken away by Sven. Thyra was looking straight into his eyes. So why the surprise now?

gingercat12 · 13/12/2015 22:18

Is there a new series of The Musketeers? I am ridiculously excited by that.

anneyaramis · 14/12/2015 09:53

Justaboy much obliged. There us some great historical drama about - perhaps you could asked them for a confirmed Musketeers date too and make the Swagger Inn very happy (that link is for you Gingercat two years of Musketeer appreciation, always excited by newbies.

I am almost finished Poldark book 2 so will be able to start The Last Kingdom later today. I am still not over Leofric and it was a brilliant moment I actually may gave cried out when Uthred jumped over the shields and lost his shit.

gingercat12 · 15/12/2015 18:24

Thanks anneyaramis

expatinscotland · 16/12/2015 19:22

In the books, he never gets back with Mildrith. She joins a convent. Iseult loses her virginity immediately upon Uhtred capturing her, but she does die at Ethandun. He then goes off with Hild, the nun, but they are more friends who shag, because he is angry with Alfred, who doesn't reward him very well for his services in the swamp. Hild had been taken by the Danes when Cippenhamm fell and whored out to many. It was actually Alfred who saved her. He compelled Uhtred to help him, though.

Leofric also dies at Ethandun. Uhtred really liked Leofric.

In the first book, both Brida and Uhtred witness Ragnar's sister, Thyra, being captured by Kjartan and Sven the One Eyed. Sven is one eyed because, as children, he captured Thyra, strips her half naked, ties her to a tree and then tells her to touch his dong. Uhtred picks up the sword Sven had and screams, 'I will touch it!' and, after cutting Sven, who runs away with his friends, he cuts Thyra loose. They all go back to Ragnar the Elder's (in the book Ragnar the Elder has another son, Rorik, who is close to Uhtred in age but dies young) where they are separated to tell their stories, which chime up. Ragnar the Elder goes to Kjartan and, because Sven stripped Thyra only half naked, he is given half the punishment and thus loses only one eye. Kjartan was Ragnar the Elder's liege.

Once Ragnar the Elder is dead, Uhtred's life is in peril from Kjartan, who wants him dead as he is a witness to the hall burning, and Aelfric, Uhtred's paternal uncle. Alfred's protection preserves his life.

Other than Mildrith, Uhtred doesn't mistreat his women. He and Brida were very young when they started becoming intimate, like 14 and 13. Brida loses the baby, barely formed but old enough to tell it's a boy, and Ragnar's wife guesses what happened and tells Ragnar it's time she was married, so she's probably 13.

He's very, very young at the end of the first book, only 20 and not much older at the end of the second one, 21.

Justaboy · 10/08/2016 09:35

Remember this?.

Some good news, being filmed in Budapest right now for release in 2017:-)

www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-06-09/the-last-kingdom-series-two-will-be-co-produced-by-bbc2-and-netflix

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